Big-race fancies: who our tipsters expect to triumph at Punchestown

The Punchestown festival starts on Tuesday and it promises to be a five-day feast of top quality action to bring the curtain down on the jumps season in Ireland. Six experts share their thoughts on who they think will win . . .

Punchestown festival: day one card and betting

Daily Present

5.20 Wednesday: Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle, 3m

A cracker of a Grade 1 is set to see The Nice Guy, Minella Cocooner and Minella Crooner do battle, but the value may lie elsewhere and Paul Nolan has a lively player in Daily Present.

He seemed to relish every yard of the trip when tackling 2m6f at Navan on his last start, beating Bronn, who has subsequently gone on to land a Grade 2, by a length and a quarter.

He hit the line well that day and looks like he's ready to tackle a race of this nature. Daily Present arrives here fresher than most so 20-1 is a serious price.
Brian Dowling, reporter

Mount Brown

3.40 Thursday: Specialist Joinery Group Handicap Hurdle, 2m

This lightly raced five-year-old has built on some early promise with a win and eyecatching second in recent months and definitely has more to offer on his handicap debut.

He travelled notably well before being edged out late on at Limerick most recently and a big field and decent gallop could prove ideal.

Jack Haynes, reporter

Millers Bank

6.35 Tuesday: Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase

The Grade 1 3m novice chase is one of the few races where Willie Mullins doesn’t really have a strong hand, while I’m keen to be against favourite Bob Olinger.

This could therefore go to Britain with Millers Bank, who was an impressive winner at Aintree last time. That performance suggested he is worth a step up in trip, while an RPR of 159 is comparable with the market leaders here.
James Hill, tipster

Commander Of Fleet

5.25 Thursday: Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle

He's not always the most reliable, but a fine weight-carrying victory in the Coral Cup last time suggested he was ready for a fruitful spring campaign.

This isn't a strong division and heavy ground was against him when he was nine and three-quarter lengths behind Thedevilscoachman at Navan in February. I would fancy a reversal of those places and, at big odds, I think he can step back out of handicap company to devastating effect.
Owen Goulding, reporter

Stand Up And Fight: can improve on last year's third in the La Touche CupCredit: Patrick McCann

Stand Up And Fight

4.50 Thursday: Mongey Communications La Touche Cup Cross Country Chase

Third in the race last year, the La Touche looks his for the taking this time around.

He was beaten less than nine lengths in the race last year despite making a desperate error at a crucial stage where Derek O'Connor did remarkably well to keep the partnership intact.

He stayed on into sixth in the Hunters' Chase at Aintree, where things were happening a bit too quick for him over 2m5f, and I have a feeling everything has been geared towards Thursday. Enda Bolger farms the La Touche and Stand Up And Fight is a confident selection to add to his remarkable record in the race.
David Jennings, Deputy Ireland editor

Ardla

4.50 Tuesday: Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle

Glan is bound to be prominent in the market for this €50,000 handicap hurdle, but a ten-day turnaround following her valuable Fairyhouse strike looks far from ideal.

Ardla, trained by Mick Halford, rates an intriguing contender towards the bottom of the weights, though, and could well be well handicapped off a mark of 125.

A course bumper winner who is at his best on a sound surface, he has shaped well in some decent company over hurdles this term and was beaten just two and a half lengths by Martin Pipe winner Banbridge when last seen at Navan in January. Ardla was in receipt of 3lb on that occasion, but Banbridge is now rated 141.

He makes plenty of each-way appeal here given his unexposed profile and weight of 10st 5lb.
Mark Boylan, reporter

Read more

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